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Andromeda never came from Roddenberry's Star Trek world; it was pretty much a completely separate idea to begin with. To be clear, the basis for Andromeda was a fairly skeletal idea that Robert Hewitt Wolfe got from Roddenberry's estate and built upon. (Source A Source B)

America's Space Prize is a competition.

What I'd rather see here:
a series of smaller prizes that required the winner to disclose their technology(as effectively Open Source). The reason for smaller prizes is that is would make the financial entry ticket less-which would mean more competitors. Basically you break the project down-and the end result is a working launch system--but even if you get it wrong, you've still disclosed a lot of decent technology that can be used by other folks.

First let's get a working solar sail. Just one measley working
prototype. THEN regale us with how bright the future is. The fact is, this is not a proven technology. And at least one scientist has had the balls to stand up and say that maybe it won't work. This March we'll know for sure.

Also, there could be this

Or, indeed, one could do this.

You know, if one wanted to...

Michael

Antartica is, among other things, getting COLDER not WARMER. As for melting in the Antartic, the northern most tip, you know that thing that sticks out south of South America? Is the only part that is melting. The rest of Antartica is getting colder and the ice is growing.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/antarctic_02 0822.html
http://www.globalwarming.org/article.php?uid=192

slashdot slashdot

Something even worse.

Whoever designed it should be shot.

The new uniforms are skin-tight. So that's what T'Pol's uniform is for! :p

Especially as an unscrupulous person could do this: http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/i mg_display.php?pic=h_astronaut_djn_02.jpg&cap=The+ glove+is+sensititive+enough+to+permit+kinky+sexual +activities.+Once+completed+the+soiled+glove+can+b e+easily+removed+for+hygenic+disposal.+Artwork%3A+ Cam+Brensiger

You misspeled the link.

...

shudder

Who the heck the designed that page?

...

shudder

Who the heck the designed that page?

http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/i mg_display.php?pic=h_astronaut_djn_02.jpg&cap=Futu re+space+explorers+may+apply+a+%93spray-on%94+seco nd+skin%2C+an+organic%2C+biodegradable+layer+offer ing+protection+in+extremely+dusty+planetary+enviro nments.+Incorporated+into+the+second+skin+will+be+ electrically+actuated+artificial+muscle+fibers+to+ enhance+human+strength+and+stamina.+Artwork%3A+Cam +Brensiger

Looks more like space flight will include playboy subscriptions.

These images are just asking for trouble.
They are just like the aircraft safety pictures that did the rounds a while back.

Knowing how far away the blazar was would let one infer the speed of the blobs in the direction normal to us, while measuring the doppler shift would tell is the speed toward or away from us (compared to the blazar's doppler shift). Use some basic trig to get the speed relative to the blazar.

Interesting article as far as it goes, but they do not even mention how far away the blazar is from us. Is this thing next door or billions of light years away? Guess I'll have to wait for the real science report in Sky and Telescope.

How about linking to the original Space.com article?

Blazing Speed: The Fastest Stuff in the Universe.

Like everything else really cool, politics killed it.

Hubble has been crucial in imaging Supernova 1987A. We have an astonishing volume of data from the Hubble as we follow the sequence as this progresses in the Greater Magellenic Cloud. If Hubble is lost without any replacement, we will lose a rare opportunity to image a supernova this close.

Hard to predict, but this may help...

www.space.com/spacewatch/aurora_cam.html

The good news is, according to space.com, people in the northern latitudes (including the northernmost US states) should have seen some northern lights.

The bad news is that the aurora borealis caused by this flare was expected to happen Tuesday night or perhaps during the predawn hours Wednesday in North America.

The good news is that the sunspot that produced this flare could produce more major flares before it heads around to the back side of the sun in a few days. So you might still get to see the northern lights. :)

"..isco does not expect to develop a business selling space hardware, and estimated that the market for satellite-based Internet routers may be only 15 or 20 units over the next decade. Instead, Cisco's plans are focused on the ground-systems business that could be created if satellites are able to communicate using Internet protocols. With Internet-based communications, laptop computers and personal digital assistants could become de facto satellite ground stations."

Don't be ridiculous. The Obvious solution is Teleportation.

Airbus will be able to claim the Corvette for the next quarter-century. Boeing is right when they say the market is not there for ferrying 600 passengers at a time -- that passengers prefer point-to-point flights rather than hub-to-hub. But the market exists, and Boeing is neglecting to mention the growing market for overnight cargo. FedEx is the A380's biggest champion.

But the market is not big enough for two players. Since the A380's announcement, Boeing has been flirting with 747 mods, such as this one that turns the currently unused rear attic into private but windowless sleeping cabins. But Boeing couldn't generate sufficient interest (i.e. firm pre-orders).

Boeing will be left to pursue the unglamorous but profitable mid-size and long-distance markets. E.g., the 777-200ER will combine 300-440 capacity with one of the longest reaches available, possibly enabling Europe<->Australia routes for the first time.

The next big glamour will be the Concorde replacement. Currently, the thought is that supersonic travel can never be made economical enough; that customers would rather bask in luxury aboard an air-yacht like the A380 than pay the price for an unsubsidized supersonic airplane. And given the technical hurdles of the sonic boom (which I think can be solved, but not for the next 30 years), supersonic travel would be limited to only over oceans, which is counter to the current point-to-point market demand.

Given that Boeing recently backed out of supersonic research, it'll be a good long while before it can reclaim the glory crown from Airbus. For 35 years, Boeing held the crown with the 747, inspiration of countless Hollywood movies. Now it's Airbus' turn for the next few decades.

Boeing will continue to be profitable, but without the glory.

The Mars Science Rover will not be landing in a capsule like Spirit or Opportunity. Furthermore, the size and power of the vehicle would be able to accomodate a trenching tool. For all I know there is already one planned. Furthermore the Atlas V vehicle that will launch the MSI can deliver over 3 times the landing mass to Mars than a Delta 2.

NASA, require your scientists to learn the conversions constants between SI and Imperial units unless you want history to repeat again! PS: SI rules!

I'd love to see NASA spend some of its new $billions running a planetary probe on the Earth, exactly like those to our neighbors....we'd also get a way to interpret the results of those other missions, by comparing the "probe" picture of the Earth with our other pictures of the Earth, including firsthand experiences here at home.

Do you mean testing the cameras on Earth targets?

When the first Cassini images arrived I made a big thing about it at work, which was kinda stupid since the first raw data really did not look like anything of interest, so people did not really care about it at all after a couple of minutes. These three images on the other hand are really great, so I believe people will find them a lot more interesting.

Oh, cry me a river. Except they are crocodile tears for Nasa's 2005 budget has actually increased by 6% - for a total of $16.2 BILLION dollars.

I think anyone would agree that is a healthy chunk of money.

How can you say space exploration has stagnated when we are about to try and go to Mars, we just launched a comet impacting satellite yesterday, and we have two frisky rovers rambling about on mars looking at shiny metal objects? How can you say space exploration has stagnated when we have two very rich people trying to start private space programs? Long term THAT is going to bring real space exploration.

Seems to me that all things considered SPace exploration is doing pretty well, and it's just your mood that has stagnated.

Yeah it would be cool to have more money devoted to space but here's a little secret - if we were not in a war NASA would probably not get a penny more, instead some expensive construction project would be started in a powerful senitors home state.

You always have to remember when thinking about a government program that they are INDEPENDANT - shutting down any given program elsewhere is not going to automatically give more money to the program you like.

So keep crying while the rest of us excitedly follow the developments of various ongoing space missions.

Uh oh.

"NASA and the scientific community are considering adding a Europa lander to JIMO. The high-tech lander could make on-the-spot surface observations at the Jovian satellite. Europa is thought to harbor an ocean under its icy crust."

Here's the proof.

h_cassini_nowwhat_2,1.jpg

h_cassini_nowwhat,0.jpg

Here's the proof.

h_cassini_nowwhat_2,1.jpg

h_cassini_nowwhat,0.jpg

Does anyone else look at this picture (image from article link) and think it looks horribly fake? Like a bad PhotoChop job?

It would be nice to get some reference as to size. The site does not mention anything about that, has anyone else seen anything like that? If it's a foot across, it's no big deal. 2 meters, maybe more interesting. It looks pretty small, considering the fixed-camera angle, unless it's looking down over the edge of a crater. The article stated it was pretty much in the middle of a field.

Space.com has an interesting time line on the event.

Gee I don't know

The image shows pitting on all sides, as a small unbroken object would; a larger object would also have slowed less, struck harder and wound up more vaporized and/or fragmented. I like the idea that it came in at a grazing angle and landed slowly, perhaps clipping something like a crater rim before rolling or bouncing to a stop. Close photographic examination may find abrasion marks which could illustrate its last moments before coming to rest.

http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/i mg_display.php?pic=h_opportunity_rock0113-1_02.jpg &cap=George+Bush+really+did+lose+his+mind.

That doesn't sound too bad actually rocks and debris can be flung for miles after impacts, it could have splintered off at the main large impact, and it looks like it could have bounced and rolled losing energy in much the same way as the airbags worked.

Its likely been there a good number of years, if the images of the heatshield are to be taken as a guide.

They have been lying on the surface for about a year now, and have only superficial sand/dust coverings, the impact point is still visible.
Look here

Yes, apparently the captions don't end there.

Interesting find, but what's up with that caption?

Here is a link with a better caption.

and a great picture: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/planet_photo _040910.html.

In this image it looks like the planet has a bump on the lower left side. Could this be a mega-Olympus Mons (on a gas giant, hmm)? Yeah, yeah, I'm sure it's just noise, but it's fun to over-analyze images.

' NPR is not "official US government news" by any stretch.'

NPR is propped up and funded by tax money. The same is true of PBS.

PBS receives most of its funding from (80% ) from private donations (sponsors and members); some government funding does come in via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the form of grants, but not much of it.

NPR gets most of its funding from licensing fees paid by member stations. Even these memberships stations average maybe 15% government funding, at most.

For an interesting contrast, Raytheon gets something on the order of 80% of its funding from government or "defense" sources; since all "defense" money ultimately comes from the US government (even foreign defense revenue must be approved by the US government, and I can almost guarantee you that the foreign defense revenue does not come to more than a fraction of the US defense revenue), I think we can characterize all 80% or so (I'm rounding the number to account for leaner and fatter years) as "government funding." So I guess that we can say, by your logic, that Raytheon is part of the government.

So, to summarize, PBS and NPR are independent non-profit organizations that receive some federal grant money: nowhere near as much as most of their detractors seem to think.

Having just read the very fine Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, he describes the spectacular collapse of a space elevator causing a ring that went almost twice around the equator of Mars.

Actually, the space elevator was actually one of Arthur C Clarke's ideas

The structure of the ring is a bit different from this one, but the location (along the equator) is the link.

Few issues which still need to be resolved:

(a) How to place and grow nanotubes precisely ? Even after 14 years we struggle with that.

(b) How does carbon nanotube interacts with biology in human body ? What are the side effects ?

(c) Need to find an easy way of making conducting vs semiconducting nanotubes.

(d) Fuel cell efficiency. They have only said that they can convert the chemical energy to mechanical energy, but how well ?

(e) Ethical issue: This may not be a big deal if that person with artificial limbs can generate 100 times more force with no effort and break anyone's neck. But I am sure once we start augmenting human brain with more computational power (may be carbon nanotubes are faster than neurons, use them !!), then we may have to rethink !!

The picture we're discussing was taken in Colorado US, this second one in Chili, which explains the opposite rotation of the stars we observe in the two pictures.
In this second picture the stars are clearly only smeared in the direction of the earth's rotation, where in the one we discuss here they are more or less all over the place.

I'm not sure about the drive motor theory, since it would seem that this astronomer would have corkscrews show up in every picture that he would take. Something would probably have dawned on him then.
Perhaps it were simply tiny earth tremors that he was unable to detect at the time and are we looking at a seismograph.

2038? If we live through 2029I'll totally just pay a tech to come over to my cave and fix my counting stones with the skins I earned cornering the market on wooly mammoth hides.

If they find damage to the heat shield can they repair it during an EVA? Does anyone know if this would be incredibly difficult?

This came up in the wake of the Columbia disaster.

At the time, the answer was that it was very difficult, and not a practical solution.

Apparently, things have changed: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/rtf_schedule_ 040430.html. Scroll down about halfway, to "Repairs in space".

Original poster used Yahoo's version of the article. It originally is from Space.com. Here is the original URL with pictures.